Diary Entry - 10/07/1985

Key Facts
President Reagan attends a National Security Planning Group to discuss the Soviet Unions progress in defensive weapons against nuclear missiles.
President Reagan receives word of the Palestinian hijacking of an Italian cruise ship carrying approximately 50 American citizens.
The United States announces it would no longer automatically comply with World Court decisions.
Meeting with Lord Carrington N.A.T.O. Sec. General. He was positive & optimistic about our relationship with our European allies. In other words Gorbachev propaganda hasn’t succeeded in splitting the N.A.T.O. nations from us. Our Nat. Repub. leadership was in the East Room & I went over for short speech. The filibuster is still blocking our efforts to get the deficit plan passed on the extension on the debt ceiling. In a couple of days the govt. will be faced with closing down unless we break the log jam. Sen. Byrd is the villain. He also is personally blocking almost 100 of my appointees from Sen. confirmation—some of them for many months past. His beef is that I named 7 appointees while Congress was in recess. That’s my constitutional right. He disputes this and wants me to concede his right to prior consultation.
We had an N.S.P.G. meeting to have a briefing on the Soviet Unions progress in defensive weapons against nuclear missiles. They are raising h--l about our research & they’ve been at it for 20 yrs. & we’re just starting.
Word just received that Palestinians have hi-jacked an Italian cruise ship in the Mediterranean. The bulk of the passengers were on shore in Alexandria but about 100 (50 of them Americans) are on board. They demand that Israel free some prisoners they hold.
